


Isala Hamin

by caradoxing (saunteredvaguelydownward)



Series: Dassana Mahariel [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Multi, lol did i cover all the possible ship names?????, smol elf cuddle pile, why do i only write fics at 2am? it is truly a mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 05:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5080114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saunteredvaguelydownward/pseuds/caradoxing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dassana tries to cheer Merrill up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Isala Hamin

**Author's Note:**

> Isala Hamin - "in need of a rest"

Dassana Mahariel had never been an adept hunter, to say the least. She had always struggled with distinguishing the source of sounds. Sometimes she would mistake the wind rustling the leaves on the trees above her for prey. Other times she would assume the shifting in tall grasses were dangers only to find that it was a fennec hiding there, not a wolf.

But if there was one thing in the world she would never mistake, it was the sound of someone she cared deeply about hurting.

She looked up from her book – one the Keeper had lent her to help her further her herbalism skills – at the faint sound of crying. She knew it to be Merrill without a second thought. Gently, she placed the book down next to the tree she had been leaning against, knowing Marethari would likely give her a long lecture later about the proper care of the clan’s things.

It didn’t take much searching. For all that Merrill was a unique person, she was also an utterly habitual and predictable one. Dassana leaned against the large aravel and peered into the space between it and the halla pen. A small figure was curled up there, obscured by the overcast of the tree line, where the aravel and pen met the forest edge.

“You know, I don’t think the halla are much for comforting words,” Dassana said.

Merrill only responded with a slightly louder sniffle, turning her burying her head deeper into the space where her arms connected with her knees.

Dassana stepped closer and crouched down next to her friend, resting a gentle hand on her arm. “Come, lethallan. What’s bothering you?”

“Everyone else is so good at everything and I’m just terrible. I wish I was good at something. Something useful-“ Merrill’s voice cracked as she looked up at Dassana.

“Oh, you’re brilliant and you know it.” Dassana gave a small sigh, knowing the words would be lost on her friend. Then a smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. “I’m afraid,” she said, her voice growing mischievous, “…if you don’t cheer up soon I’m going to have to take more drastic measures.”

Merrill shot her a look, full of confusion and concern which only grew when she saw the look which had emerged on her face. She was certain by now Merrill knew well enough that she was up to something.

“Dassana...”

“I might have to… say, kiss you, until you feel better. Like _this_.” She pecked Merrill quickly on the forehead before pulling away again. Dassana knew that if there was one thing that was sure to cheer her friend up, it would the little measures of affection they had often passed between them.

Merrill had turned red in the cheeks, but her mood had clearly not changed.

This time, Dassana leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her nose. Now, a flicker of a smile crossed Merrill’s face as she unfolded from her curled up position before settling back into a frown. It seemed Dassana would have to hold to her promise for longer than she had expected.

Now, Dassana leaned closer to her and placed her hands at Merrill’s sides, giving her several kisses on each cheek before giving her a grin. Merrill’s face settled into a smile, knowing she would not win this battle. Dassana was glad for it. Her stubbornness had always been guaranteed to outlast anyone else’s, as had her sense of playfulness. While she had succeeded, she was more than willing to admit that she was having fun.

She continued to pepper Merrill with kisses, enjoying watching the redness in her friend’s face bloom more and more as she pressed on. It was only when they were interrupted by a halla honking curiously at them that they were both startled, falling over. After a brief pause, the two had broken into a loud fit of giggles.

Dassana rolled off her friend, still giggling. She mimicked Merrill, cradling her head on top of her arm and turning towards her. With a small movement, she moved closer rested her forehead against Merrill’s, their noses touching, and closed her eyes.

She didn’t know how long they stayed there like that, happily side by side. She only became aware of her surroundings once more when she heard the faint fall of footsteps coming their way.

-

It had been a long day and Tamlen was hoping the only thing waiting for him back at camp was a nap. While the hunt hadn’t been nearly as successful as they had hoped it would be, it wasn’t a complete failure either. It was enough that he had hoped Keeper Marethari wouldn’t send them out again for another few days.

Or perhaps not.

“I don’t suppose you’ve seen Dassana today, have you da’len?” It wasn’t the reason he’d been expecting for the Keeper to seek him out. She held up a book and he could see the dirt that had gotten on the pages of it. _Ah_ , he thought to himself. _The Keeper still hasn’t learned not to lend her anything, has she?_

Not that his life-long friend was irresponsible, but she did have a tendency to get sidetracked whenever she came across something more interesting. He imagined there were probably many things more interesting than – he took a peek at the cover – _Ancient Herbal Remedies_.

With a sigh, he resigned himself to taking that nap later rather than sooner.

“I’ll find them,” he said, making a mental note to make sure Dassana would have her nap time interrupted in the near future.

-

“What…”

Dassana looked up quickly, though she was relieved to hear that it was only Tamlen’s voice that came from nearby. Just as his tone of voice had signaled, his brows were knit in confusion. She laughed inwardly, wondering if he had never seen two girls snuggled together by a halla pen before.

She shot Merrill a quick look, wondering if she too had the same idea. Now it was Merrill who looked back with a spark of playfulness in her eye.

Before Tamlen could say another word, the two were on their feet. And then suddenly none of them were. From underneath the two girls, Tamlen’s look of confusion only seemed to grow. But at the same time, Dassana noted, he looked in no hurry to change his new situation.

She rested her head against his chest, shifting to get more comfortable next to him as it seemed Merrill had also done.

“I hope you had no plans,” Dassana gave a breathy laugh. She felt his head move slightly, no doubt rolling his eyes, before he rested it against the top of her own.

Dassana Mahariel had never been an adept hunter, to say the least. But if there was one thing she knew about hunting, it was that when you had your prey in sight, you did not let them scamper off again.

-

It was almost sundown before Keeper Marethari, caught up in various other clan businesses, had noticed that Tamlen had not returned with Dassana.

It seemed, as was often the case, that she would have to do it herself. Not only that, but now she would have twice as many elves to find.

She did not find them, as she had hoped to, laid down to sleep in their usual spot among the rest of the clan. Merrill too, she noted, was also missing.

A small worry bloomed in her chest, as it always did in this kind of case, that something may have happened to the three. They were young still, always tearing each other away from their duties for some perceived adventure.

She did not begrudge them this, but still she sometimes wished she did not have to chase after them when they were need. Not have to worry what might have befallen them when they were out of sight.

After scouring the camp, she was relieved to find all of them tucked away behind one of the larger aravels, tangled up in the arms of one another. She could not help but smile.

Far from the danger she might have considered, she was sure there was nowhere safer for the three than here in camp with one another.

She decided, leaving them to it and heading back to her own sleeping space, that of all the good things and the bad that may have found their way into the clan, love was not the one to chase back out again.


End file.
